In today's markets, mattresses cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars and represent substantial investments for individuals and for the hospitality and healthcare industries. In the hospitality and healthcare industries, the cost of mattresses is magnified by the number of mattresses that can be present in a typical facility, such as a hotel or in-patient care facility. In light of the substantial investment made in mattresses, mattress protectors are used to prevent damage to mattresses. However, conventional mattress protectors are expensive to manufacture and/or difficult to change. For example, some existing mattress protectors require straps, Velcro® fasteners, or adhesive fasteners to be sewn into a protector sheet to hold the sheet securely to the mattress. Such features increase the cost of mattress protectors and make them difficult to manufacture.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties, there exists a need for an improved mattress protector that is cost effective to manufacture and easy to change.